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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · snap · racket · roll · mine · stand · ball · bore

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a list
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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