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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: content · mark · bore · bat · rock · tube · key · bank

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — happy
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — the amount

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