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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. roll — a list
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. present — a gift
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — the time now
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — there

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