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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: tube · ball · deal · patient · fork · calf · toast · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. content — happy
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. calf — a young animal

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