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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: stand · tube · net · mine · stock · racket · temple · can

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — goods
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — on your feet

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