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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 · content · jam · pitch · spring · staff · ruler · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. content — happy
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitch — completely
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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