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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: club · season · bore · trunk · ball · rush · pit · jam

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. season — of the year
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bore — to drill
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. club — for golf
  23. season — in sport
  24. jam — in traffic

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