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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: object · chip · content · trunk · roll · court · wind · mouse

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. object — an aim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of law
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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