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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 · jam · drill · pitcher · kick · coach · last · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — final
  22. drill — army training
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — the underground

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