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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: hide · pound · bore · key · patient · tube · board · swing

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. 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. key — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a committee
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tube — the underground
  23. swing — music
  24. 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