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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: toast · saw · pitcher · bore · board · content · fork · press

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — happy
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — newspapers
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fork — in a road
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — videos and posts

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