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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: track · board · club · bowl · bore · last · bear · wake

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — to go on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — for golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a path
  12. wake — a trail
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — a group
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — a committee
  21. last — final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a song
  24. board — to get 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