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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. court — for sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. scale — in music
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ball — a dance
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

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