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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: bank · ruler · tube · dip · cold · pitcher · swing · scale

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. dip — to sink
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cold — not warm
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — music
  18. cold — an illness
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — a container

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