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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. present — a gift
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — there
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. content — the amount
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. content — happy

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