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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 116 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: tube · scale · present · bank · file · mate · cap · bark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a document
  8. bark — to shout
  9. file — a tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — a friend
  17. present — there
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cap — a hat

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