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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: mouse · chest · hide · content · mark · rush · court · prune

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. court — of law
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — hurry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — videos and posts
  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