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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 116 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: saw · club · tube · drill · press · ball · pitcher · board

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — to push
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. tube — a container
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. drill — the tool

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