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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: rule · prune · bore · net · bear · jam · band · file

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bore — to drill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a document
  7. net — for catching
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — government
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — in sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. band — a ring

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