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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: scale · court · pitcher · stick · content · pop · hide · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — soda
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. court — of law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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