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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. date — the fruit

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