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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: bore · board · club · object · tear · pitch · mate · drill

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — a thing
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. object — an aim
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — for golf
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bore — to tire
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. object — to protest
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — army training
  24. tear — from crying

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