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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: track · band · calf · nail · bat · pitcher · pound · pop

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. track — a song
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — soda
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — to visit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a ring
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a music group
  24. pound — to hit hard

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