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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: object · bank · cell · pop · tube · content · board · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. object — a thing
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. board — to get on

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