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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. march — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rock — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — to get on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — in traffic

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