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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 116 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: content · mine · game · fine · kid · tube · bank · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. tube — a container
  2. kid — child
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — of a river
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — for money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. tube — in a tire
  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