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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 124 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 · cap · bank · squash · date · mark · tube · branch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — a container
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bank — of a river
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — a grade

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