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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: band · foot · squash · present · bore · board · prune · toast

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. present — the time now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. present — a gift
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. band — a music group
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. toast — bread
  21. present — there
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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