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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: rush · wound · stick · scale · stand · bore · jam · track

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. scale — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bore — to tire
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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