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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — a gift
  5. bound — certain
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — the time now
  9. board — a committee
  10. bore — to drill
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. band — a ring
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — to get on
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — there
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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