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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · pass · trunk · jam · wake · bore · track · patient

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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