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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: rock · object · pitcher · jam · cabinet · bore · cell · rest

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. bore — to tire
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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