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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 120 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
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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: tube · suit · squash · arm · pitcher · pass · wax · band

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. suit — clothes
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. band — a music group
  10. tube — a container
  11. band — a ring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — a permit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — to spend time

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