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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: mug · mark · club · face · jam · mine · bore · rash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mine — for digging
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. face — part of the head
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a face

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