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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: bore · band · rash · content · present · foot · bank · mouse

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bore — to tire
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — to drill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. band — a ring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a music group

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