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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · court · suit · chest · fan · leaves · bowl · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. court — of law
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. court — of a king
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — happy
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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