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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 · mug · spring · nail · pitch · board · club · bore

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitch — completely
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — of the year
  15. bore — to drill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — of water
  19. season — in sport
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. board — a committee
  24. mug — a cup

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