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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: staff · bore · board · chair · branch · mouse · drill · pit

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mouse — the animal

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