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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: roll · file · mark · bay · content · scale · cabinet · court

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — a list
  7. file — a document
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — of law
  11. roll — a cake
  12. file — a line of people
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — the amount
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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