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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: fan · bark · saw · pitcher · pit · bear · jam · bore

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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