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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 · branch · bass · bowl · rock · bore · ground · safe

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ground — a position
  6. branch — a division
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — low music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ground — crushed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. jam — in traffic

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