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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · leaves · cap · pitcher · club · board · bore · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. club — a group
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — to tire
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. object — a thing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cap — a lid
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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