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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: bore · court · jam · foot · prune · fine · cabinet · nail

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. court — of law
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — for sport
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. prune — 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