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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. board — to get on
  4. court — of law
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fall — the season
  7. rule — government
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — in music
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — the amount
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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