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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 · bore · temple · board · mine · band · mate · fine

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. band — a music group
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. board — to get on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — high quality
  24. board — a committee

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