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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — in music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — the underground
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — to bear

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