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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 · capital · hand · fall · bore · bay · pit · march

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — the season
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hand — help
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. capital — money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. march — music

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