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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 120 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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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: cue · fork · content · racket · bowl · cabinet · arm · court

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — in a road
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of a king
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. court — of law
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — for sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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