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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 120 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: chip · can · mug · calf · content · scale · craft · patient

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — size or range
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. can — a tin

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