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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. content — happy
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ball — a great time
  13. content — the amount
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hide — to keep secret

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