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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 116 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: season · bank · trunk · bore · rush · scale · board · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bank — of a river
  5. scale — in music
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a committee
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — the earth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — gave birth

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