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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. file — a document
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a line of people
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — a dish
  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