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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: bass · cap · tube · temple · object · board · pop · roll

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a committee
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — to protest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — to get on
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — a thing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — music
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pop — to visit
  21. roll — a list
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — an aim

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