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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: scale · tube · pitcher · can · tear · bark · root · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bark — to shout
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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