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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · board · court · ball · mug · fork · bore · stick

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a committee
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — to rob
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — a cup
  23. court — of a king
  24. fork — a garden tool

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