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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a lid
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of law
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a path
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — of ice
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — for sport

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