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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: ball · file · plane · toast · track · bore · nail · board

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. track — a path
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a document
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — on a finger

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