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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 120 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: bore · hand · bulb · track · bound · pit · game · chair

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hand — help
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — tied together
  13. track — to keep track
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — a song
  20. pit — in a race
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — certain
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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