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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: jam · perch · prune · bore · bear · hide · game · toast

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bore — to drill

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