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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.

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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: board · stick · pitch · bore · track · object · rule · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a song
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — to protest
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — a thing
  22. board — a committee
  23. object — an aim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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