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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bound — certain
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the fish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — gave birth

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