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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: rest · lean · bark · pitcher · jam · pop · bore · pass

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rest — a break
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lean — thin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — music
  24. rest — what's left

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