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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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468
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 · dip · cabinet · scale · bowl · cell · bulb · bank

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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