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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: squash · foot · cabinet · firm · tube · board · bore · pop

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a committee
  11. pop — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pop — to visit
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — steady
  24. foot — a measure

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