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

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — a permit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — to get on
  14. mine — for digging
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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