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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: can · bat · tube · kick · pitcher · band · ruler · jam

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. band — a ring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tube — a container
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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