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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.

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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: can · tube · pound · stem · bowl · scale · lean · band

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — a container
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lean — thin
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a ring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — a stem cell

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