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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 · kick · stem · present · mouse · pass · jam · track

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stem — to come from
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mouse — the animal

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