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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. chest — a box
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your body

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