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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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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: key · court · pass · bore · mouse · content · snap · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. court — of a king
  3. content — happy
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — the amount
  7. snap — to click
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in music

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