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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: pop · mark · bear · chest · jam · bore · pound · pass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. chest — a box
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bore — gave birth

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