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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: plane · rule · bass · pitch · pitcher · calf · bear · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — government
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — a law
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rule — to rule out

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