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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · coach · object · dip · content · bank · bass · march

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — of a river
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — the underground
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — the month

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