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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. court — of law
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. content — the amount
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — for sport

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