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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 · hand · can · root · stand · content · net · band

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — for catching
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — to be able to
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — a container
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. net — in sport
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a music group
  24. content — happy

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