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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.

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: temple · cabinet · content · roll · court · plane · bowl · pitch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. court — of law
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. temple — a place of worship

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