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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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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 · club · present · jam · pit · bay · stand · mine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — there
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — for golf
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. present — the time now
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pit — in a race
  17. club — a group
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bore — to drill
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — on your feet

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