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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: bore · club · pass · track · leaves · bear · coach · board

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — a group
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — to spend time

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