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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: pound · lash · pitch · band · bore · present · tube · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a ring
  4. present — there
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — in cards
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — help
  22. present — the time now
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — an eyelash

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