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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 · bear · cold · board · pitch · stick · temple · ball

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cold — not warm
  5. board — a committee
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. cold — an illness
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ball — a dance

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