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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: pound · wake · bore · season · racket · bound · board · pitcher

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — a trail
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bore — to drill

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