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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: wound · content · roll · craft · tube · cap · fine · ball

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — a container
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. roll — a list
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ball — a dance
  17. roll — a cake
  18. craft — a skill
  19. content — happy
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — the amount

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