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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: rest · fork · lie · bore · bank · bat · board · pit

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a committee
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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