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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: chair · board · land · coach · last · bore · pit · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. land — to come down
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. last — final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — a leader
  16. roll — a list
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a committee
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chair — to sit on

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