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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: bore · march · bark · bulb · press · ball · jam · nail

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bore — to drill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bark — to shout
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ball — a great time

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