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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 · mate · stock · ground · current · staff · arm · bore

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — to breed
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ground — the earth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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