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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: tube · root · shower · stand · mark · mug · scale · pop

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — rain
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — a container
  19. mug — to rob
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — for spectators

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