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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · game · hide · content · cabinet · racket · bowl · scale

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — size or range
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — the amount

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