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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: tube · straw · can · cap · scale · file · ruler · bay

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cap — a hat
  8. file — a tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a document
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — a tin

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