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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: can · dip · board · wake · tube · season · band · scale

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a music group
  11. season — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tube — a container
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — to dunk

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