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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: can · tube · pass · clip · roll · band · field · current

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. tube — a container
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. clip — to cut
  7. band — a music group
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. roll — a list
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. clip — a video
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. band — a ring
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tube — the underground

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