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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 · bank · net · band · can · race · tube · drill

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — army training
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — to be able to
  5. race — a contest
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. net — for catching
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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