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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · scale · rock · stand · chip · content

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. content — the amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — a stone
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — size or range
  17. court — of law
  18. scale — in music

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