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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: band · pitch · chest · file · can · land · cell · calf

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — to come down
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — ground
  21. file — a tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. band — a music group

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