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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — to fit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — happy
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — a cake
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — videos and posts

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