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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: suit · tube · can · field · band · hide · roll · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. tube — a container
  12. field — a subject
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. roll — a list
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — to fit

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