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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: board · suit · tube · stick · bank · present · arm · pitch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — the time now
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. bank — of a river
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — a container

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