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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: clip · bore · stock · board · key · charge

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire

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