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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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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 · branch · band · game · pit · bore · pop · root

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — in a race
  20. branch — a division
  21. pop — music
  22. game — a match
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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