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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: tube · cabinet · chest · net · racket · content · mug · craft

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — happy
  4. net — after costs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — in sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — boats
  22. net — for catching
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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