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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
468
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: rock · chair · patient · content · scale · tube · can · cell

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — happy
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — the underground
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — in music

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