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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: tube · jam · mug · band · pitcher · drill · straw · calf

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — a face
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — a container
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a music group
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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