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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: tube · rush · current · can · pitch · wind · foot · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — hurry
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — electric
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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