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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: jam · bore · season · calf · net · perch · rush · stick

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — in sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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