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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · dip · cell · game · date · bore · saw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — to shout
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. date — the fruit
  24. dip — to dunk

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