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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: bore · firm · game · ground · fine · roll · stick · board

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — all right
  9. ground — a position
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — wild animals
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — high quality
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — the earth
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — to get on

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