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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: bore · pop · can · suit · content · safe · court · temple

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — the amount
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — soda
  22. suit — to fit
  23. court — of law
  24. safe — out of danger

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