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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: bulb · content · pass · fine · key · bore · plane · court

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. plane — a tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of a king
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — in music
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. content — the amount

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