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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 · rash · chip · mine · bear · pop · tear · can

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rash — a series
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — soda
  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