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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: board · cabinet · game · fine · date · bore · ball · bat

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a match
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — the fruit
  18. board — to get on
  19. fine — all right
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — gave birth

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