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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 · court · bore · bank · mate · date · jam · degree

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. degree — temperature
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — from a university
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bank — of a river
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bore — to drill
  24. content — happy

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