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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — the amount
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pop — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — of law
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pop — soda
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — to rob
  22. content — happy
  23. season — of the year
  24. kid — to tease

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