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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
468
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: mark · kid · current · toast · bore · content · jam · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — happy
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — the amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — child
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. kid — to tease
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to tire
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a grade
  24. content — videos and posts

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