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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: bore · bat · stand · jam · ball · pitcher

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ball — a dance

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