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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 120 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: pitch · deal · kick · tube · fine · leaves · wake · wind

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — a container
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kick — a thrill

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