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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: bore · chest · bear · bowl · rule · jam · calf · game

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. game — a match
  8. chest — a box
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rule — a law
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — to tire

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