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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a cup
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mug — a face
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — for catching
  23. land — ground
  24. net — in sport

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