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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 116 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: pit · tube · shower · content · bank · board · drill · dip

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. content — the amount
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — of a river
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — to get on
  24. bank — for money

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