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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: spell · object · row · cue · rock · court · content · mark

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — a short time
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. content — the amount
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — a stone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. object — a thing
  14. court — for sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — a trace
  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