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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: board · leaves · race · wake · prune · bore · key · pitch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. board — a committee
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — for a lock
  23. race — humankind
  24. leaves — to go away

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