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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 · bore · fork · trunk · ground · leaves · pitcher · straw

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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