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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bore · land · bank · content · jam · tube · arm · band

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. band — a music group
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tube — a container
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. jam — a tight spot

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