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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — low music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a match
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — for dogs

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