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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · cap · court · bear · temple · wave · content · march

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. court — for sport
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. march — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. court — of a king
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of law
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — a lid

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