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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 116 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: mark · content · pit · mouse · court · fine · calf · mine

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. pit — in a race
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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