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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — for sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in biology
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — happy
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cell — a phone
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a lid

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