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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
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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: patient · craft · vault · sharp · perch · date · content · can

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. content — happy
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — a skill
  14. date — the fruit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — the amount
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. vault — a safe

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