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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: game · squash · pound · coach · bore · patient · jam · rule

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. game — a match

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