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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. court — for sport
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. bore — to tire
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. nail — for a hammer

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