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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — to eat
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — for betting

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