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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — in music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. content — the amount
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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