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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: mark · pitcher · fall · rush · rash · jam · pound · bore

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. jam — a tight spot

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