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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 120 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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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: club · fork · kid · board · bore · stick · cue · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. club — for golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — to drill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — child
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kid — to tease
  23. club — a group
  24. board — a committee

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