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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: pit · foot · content · craft · patient · stick · cap · fine

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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