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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — to drill
  10. club — a group
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a committee
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spring — the season
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — the underground
  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