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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a hint
  5. content — the amount
  6. hand — help
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. court — for sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. content — happy
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — of a king

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