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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: last · band · suit · prune · jam · toast · chair · bore

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. toast — bread
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chair — a leader
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to tire
  16. suit — to fit
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bore — to drill

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