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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · can · charge · tube · rock · fork · pitch · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cold — an illness
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com