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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · tube · drill · land · pass · capital · pitcher · pit

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. land — to come down
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — a country
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — ground
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — money
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. drill — a practice

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