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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: content · file · bound · cap · cabinet · stand · object · can

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bound — obliged
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — tied together
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. file — a tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  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