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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: cabinet · stock · safe · scale · press · perch · tube · bowl

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. bowl — to roll
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — shares
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. tube — in a tire

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