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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kick — in football
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mug — to rob
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — for sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — happy
  18. fine — all right
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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