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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.

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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. content — happy
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — letters
  13. club — for dancing
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spell — magic
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — goods
  21. court — of law
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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