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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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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: bear · pit · bore · season · rest · stem · roll · pound

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. roll — a cake
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — the animal

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