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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: can · tube · scale · land · bay · band · firm · board

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. firm — a company
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — decided
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. firm — steady
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a committee
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. scale — size or range
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. band — a ring
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — in music

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