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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: fine · bore · net · rush · court · bulb · content · track

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — happy
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. court — for sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — of a king
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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