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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · mine · game · perch · board · coach · fine · tear

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mine — for digging
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — the fish
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bore — to drill

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