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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 · pop · bore · rest · wake · chair · pit · scale

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rest — a break
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — a hole

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