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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 · tube · racket · present · fall · bore · scale · trunk

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cap — a lid
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. present — a gift
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — there
  10. bore — to drill
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. present — the time now
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. scale — for weighing

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