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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy

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