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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 · spring · cap · kid · stick · stock · bank · can

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spring — the season
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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