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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: roll · board · swing · rest · date · jam · bore · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in biology
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — to tire
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — a phone
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rest — a break
  20. swing — music
  21. roll — a list
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — the fruit

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