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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: rest · can · bank · cap · present · pitch · degree · tube

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rest — a break
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — a gift
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — the time now
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — an amount
  24. can — a tin

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