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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: season · rock · mug · craft · pitch · ball · board · bore

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rock — a stone
  12. board — a committee
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. season — in sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. craft — boats

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