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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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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: rest · band · present · mouse · bulb · bore · jam · deal

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. present — there
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bulb — for light

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