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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: ball · coach · drill · pitch · trunk · date · tube · club

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — a container
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for dancing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ball — a great time
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — completely
  18. drill — army training
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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