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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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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: tube · stem · pitcher · file · roll · rock · bass · trunk

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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