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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: racket · present · content · can · bank · stand · cold · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — a tin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — a gift
  8. cold — not warm
  9. content — the amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — there
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — a cup

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