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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: bore · pound · face · drill · racket · ruler · swing · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a committee
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — to tire
  17. drill — a practice
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — to drill

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