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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — music
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — certain
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of a king
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wound — an injury
  23. court — for sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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