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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: march · pop · content · jam · bear · bore · wave · rest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. pop — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. march — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rest — a break
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. content — the amount
  23. bear — to put up with
  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