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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — boats
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — a skill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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