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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pop — soda
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — music
  20. roll — a list
  21. band — a ring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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