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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 116 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: object · content · stock · bore · calf · stem

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — goods
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — shares
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal

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