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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: tube · content · date · current · band · firm · kick · cabinet

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a ring
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tube — the underground
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kick — in football
  24. tube — a container

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