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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: leaves · band · bark · rush · scale · bore · jam · bear

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — in music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bore — to tire
  24. band — a ring

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