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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — the animal

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