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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: current · bore · rest · ball · capital · coach · board · staff

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — of water
  4. capital — a city
  5. rest — a break
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a committee
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — a big letter
  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