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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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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: rule · board · bore · row · field · plane · mark · kid

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. field — farmland
  7. kid — child
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — to tire
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to drill
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — a subject

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