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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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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 · tear · cap · pass · scale · band · temple · pitch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. band — a music group
  10. tube — a container
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — a lid

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