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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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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: patient · calf · content · pit · roll · mouse · tube · craft

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — the underground
  4. roll — a list
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — in a race
  10. craft — a skill
  11. content — happy
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. roll — a cake

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