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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: pass · band · date · calf · pitch · spring · racket · drill

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — army training
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — a practice
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. band — a ring
  15. date — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — of water
  21. drill — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitch — completely

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