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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: bear · rash · jam · bound · ground · tube · wound · pop

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tube — a container
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pop — soda
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rash — hasty
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ground — crushed

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