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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — a measure
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — a break
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — crushed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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