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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · leaves · tube · capital · bear · pitch · staff · calf

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — hasty
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. staff — a stick
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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