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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: pitcher · tube · wind · pop · track · season · cabinet · stand

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — of the year
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pop — soda
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — a container
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — a song

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