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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: kick · band · cap · season · land · tube · cabinet · can

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. land — a country
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — in football
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. land — ground
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a ring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. season — of the year
  23. band — a music group
  24. can — to be able to

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