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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: dip · jam · stock · date · wound · bore · ball · content

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — to tire
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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