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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
468
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: lie · dip · content · sharp · bowl · cabinet · court · key

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — the amount
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — ministers

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