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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: court · jam · wax · craft · content · chest · bank · mug

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mug — a face
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of law
  5. content — the amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chest — of your body
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — of your body
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — to grow

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