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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 · suit · pitcher · bore · band · stock · charge · temple

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — a price
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a ring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to drill

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