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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · pound · bore · chest · pitcher · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. 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. lean — thin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a committee
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. 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