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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · present · scale · degree · content · patient · chair · can

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — there
  5. can — to be able to
  6. scale — in music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — happy
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — the time now
  16. kick — in football
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chair — a leader
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chair — a professorship

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