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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pop — music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. content — the amount

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