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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. branch — a division
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — happy
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — of a bank

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