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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 116 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 · cue · leaves · lean · cabinet · swing · tube · tear

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. swing — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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