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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: pitcher · can · hide · board · bore · spring · clip · date

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spring — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — to cut
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. clip — for paper
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. clip — a video
  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