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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: bat · race · track · can · bore · board · prune · nail

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a path
  9. race — the arms race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. race — humankind
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — a contest
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — to be able to
  24. board — a flat piece

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