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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: foot · lie · mark · chair · stick · tube · pitcher · bank

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — a container
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — the bottom

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