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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: arm · game · bore · jam · scale · tear · suit · rest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rest — a break
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — to rip

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