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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: court · pit · bore · face · swing · board · wake · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to confront
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  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