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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.

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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cue — a hint
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — to be able to
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — the amount
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cue — for pool
  23. scale — in music
  24. perch — the fish

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