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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: roll · pitch · tube · band · suit · wound · content · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — the amount
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. content — happy
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. roll — a list
  22. drill — army training
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitch — completely

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