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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: kid · can · pit · snap · scale · content · calf · craft

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — to tease
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. content — the amount
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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