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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
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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: cap · tube · net · pit · file · craft · bark · shower

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — after costs
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. file — a tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — the underground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tube — a container
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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