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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: march · charge · last · bore · pop · board · racket · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — a price
  4. last — final
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — in control
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — finally
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a committee
  20. last — to go on
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. march — music
  24. row — a line

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