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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: jam · file · racket · band · bore · row · fine · mate

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. file — a document
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — all right
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fine — high quality
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — to drill

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