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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 120 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: bark · bank · straw · charge · pit · cap · content · tube

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cap — a hat
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — in a race
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — happy
  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