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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — to get on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — to drill
  12. roll — a cake
  13. race — a contest
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. board — a committee

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