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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: file · cap · pitcher · date · cabinet · pitch · tube · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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