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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. march — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rock — a stone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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