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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 · field · scale · lie · pass · can · pitch · root

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — a permit
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — of a word
  23. field — for sport
  24. scale — size or range

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