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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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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 · can · arm · stand · scale · court · calf · pop

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pop — to visit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — happy
  20. pop — soda
  21. scale — in music
  22. court — of a king
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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