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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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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: content · ball · mate · can · object · mug · present · court

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. present — the time now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. court — for sport
  5. content — happy
  6. present — a gift
  7. mate — to breed
  8. object — a thing
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — an aim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — there
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mug — a face
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — of law
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. object — to protest

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