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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: band · content · patient · can · bulb · craft · roll · bear

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — a list
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — boats
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a cake
  16. content — the amount
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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