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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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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: bore · patient · court · band · track · board

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bore — to drill
  3. band — a ring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — a path
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — for sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. court — of law
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. court — of a king

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