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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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468
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: temple · swing · rule · bore · board · mine · present · bark

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. bore — to drill
  7. present — there
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rule — government
  10. bark — to shout
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a committee
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rule — a law
  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