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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 116 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: kick · staff · bore · board · stock · hand · mug · cap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — of ice
  4. board — to get on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stock — goods
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — employees
  14. mug — a face
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mug — to rob
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — to tire
  24. board — a committee

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