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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 · spell · bore · sharp · firm · rock · row · stick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spell — magic
  12. firm — decided
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to drill
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — steady
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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