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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: bulb · current · bound · bear · field · track · bore · jam

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. current — of water
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. track — a path
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — a subject

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