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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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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 · cold · rush · coach · bore · scale · firm · deal

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — a committee
  5. cold — not warm
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — a company
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  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