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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · net · tube · track · nail · bat · content · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a path
  5. content — happy
  6. net — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. net — for catching
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — a container
  24. content — videos and posts

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