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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: roll · tube · drill · kid · current · pop · fine · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. drill — army training
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — soda
  6. tube — a container
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — all right
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — to be able to
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — to visit

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