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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: board · rest · calf · bowl · bore · mine · club · stand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — to get on
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — to drill

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