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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: bore · board · bark · coach · bulb · scale · court · face

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. board — to get on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — for sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. bark — to shout

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