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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 · cabinet · pass · bank · bear · pitch · field · last

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — final
  9. tube — a container
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — farmland
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — a permit
  18. last — to go on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — of a river
  23. field — a subject
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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