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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — a committee
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — in sport
  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