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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: bore · calf · pitch · track · bound · pop · jam · leaves

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. bound — certain
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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