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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: temple · sharp · bore · jam · season · bear · roll · pitch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — to drill
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — a list
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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