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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: season · bore · pitcher · track · object · bark · board · rule

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. track — a path
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — in sport
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — of the year

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