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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — for sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. court — of a king
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. court — of law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — ground

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