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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: cap · bank · wound · jam · fork · mine · squash · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wound — an injury

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