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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.

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: board · fork · swing · fan · rash · deal · court · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — for sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — a committee
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — a flat piece

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