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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: hand · content · bore · court · hide · roll · spell · cue

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. court — of a king
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — help
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — for sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spell — letters

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