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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · lash · wound · bore · pit · court · land · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — a country
  13. court — of a king
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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