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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · pitcher · tube · capital · mine · saw · dip · bank

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bank — of a river
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — size or range
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mine — for digging
  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