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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · content · stand · bore · band · bowl · leaves · rash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. band — a music group
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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