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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 · mine · row · mark · march · roll · pit · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. row — a line
  4. march — the month
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — the month
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. roll — a cake
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pit — in a race

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