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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · press · prune · rash · bay · pit · bore

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — a series
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — hasty

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