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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: cap · tube · kid · lie · pitch · nail · jam · calf

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kid — to tease
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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