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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. board — a committee
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — to bear

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