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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — a partner
  13. row — a line
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. branch — a division
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bore — to tire
  24. season — of the year

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