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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: staff · tube · arm · net · band · ruler · content · bear

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. net — for catching
  3. content — happy
  4. band — a ring
  5. net — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — the amount
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — after costs
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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