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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: board · safe · clip · chair · ball · roll · bore · field

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. clip — a video
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. clip — for paper
  10. field — farmland
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. field — a subject
  18. board — to get on
  19. roll — a cake
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — on a roll

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