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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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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: wave · fork · toast · bore · tear · pitch · board · spring

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — bread
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — to get on

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