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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: spring · ruler · pit · chip · bore · board · capital · game

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. capital — money
  3. spring — the season
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — to get on
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pit — a hole
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — gave birth

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