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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: march · jam · calf · mine · rush · bore · object · pit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — in a race
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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