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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: ball · mate · can · content · cabinet · band · drill · fork

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. can — to be able to
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a round shape

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