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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: object · bore · nail · ruler · jam · mine · bat · pound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. object — to protest
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. object — an aim
  17. bat — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — for dogs

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