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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: pitch · tube · band · suit · calf · shower · charge · drill

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — electricity
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tube — the underground
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — rain
  12. band — a ring
  13. charge — in control
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. drill — army training

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