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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: rash · date · row · jam · ball · vault · branch · bore

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. branch — a division
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — a safe
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — hasty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a line
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ball — a great time
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bore — to tire
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. row — to paddle

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