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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: club · land · stand · mouse · hand · cabinet · content · jam

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — a group
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — for golf
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — help
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. club — for dancing
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — for spectators

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