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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. content — the amount
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — happy
  16. court — of law
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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