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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
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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: season · chair · bore · stick · chest · perch · pop · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — a box
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — soda
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. perch — the fish
  24. jam — in traffic

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