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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 · hide · staff · cabinet · ball · scale · perch

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. court — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — the fish
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — of a king
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. content — happy

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