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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 120 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: land · court · stand · content · chip · tube · can · pitcher

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — to come down
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — to eat
  15. court — of law
  16. land — a country
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. court — of a king
  20. land — ground
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — for sport
  24. content — happy

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