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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: ball · jam · saw · toast · game · bore · pop · bear

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — bread
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pop — soda

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