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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: net · board · wave · sharp · bowl · bore · track · date

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a song
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — for catching
  24. date — on the calendar

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