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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 120 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
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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 · scale · fall · cap · stock · bowl · safe · stick

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. tube — a container
  13. stock — goods
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — out of danger

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