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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.

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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: safe · chip · can · content · tube · branch · craft · cabinet

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — the amount
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — boats
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — to be able to
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — for betting

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