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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 · net · plane · content · mug · can · cue · shower

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. court — of law
  3. shower — rain
  4. net — for catching
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — happy
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. court — of a king
  16. mug — a face
  17. shower — to wash
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cue — a hint

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