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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. court — of a king
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — of law
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in biology
  24. content — videos and posts

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