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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: content · foot · bore · band · rock · court · deal · track

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. rock — a stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bore — to drill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. court — for sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rock — music
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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