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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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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 · bass · ruler · pit · stand · temple · straw · bowl

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — low music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — side of the head

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