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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · bore · jam · content · wind · key · court · stock

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — the amount
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of law
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stock — goods
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — for sport
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — to tire
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of a king
  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