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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.

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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: chip · cell · mark · fork · content · court · cabinet · plane

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — happy
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fork — in a road
  24. plane — an aircraft

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