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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 · staff · wound · drill · pass · bat · kid · bear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — to tease
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kid — child

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