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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: content · can · mouse · stick · pit · trunk · fan · band

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. band — a music group
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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