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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: craft · board · patient · tube · content · fan · staff · cabinet

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — the underground
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — to cool the air

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