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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: pop · board · tube · content · racket · cabinet · clip · nail

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. content — the amount
  8. clip — to cut
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. clip — for paper
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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