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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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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: rash · ball · safe · bore · board · nail · key · deal

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. safe — out of danger

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