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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
468
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: tube · chest · object · content · suit · craft · cap · cabinet

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cap — a hat
  3. object — an aim
  4. content — happy
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chest — a box
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — the underground
  18. object — to protest
  19. suit — clothes
  20. craft — boats
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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