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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: scale · calf · can · content · drill · craft · jam · last

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. content — happy
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. last — finally
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — final
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — the amount
  23. scale — size or range
  24. jam — a tight spot

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