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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 120 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: row · bore · pass · court · season · nail · fine · board

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. season — in sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — of law
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pass — a permit
  14. row — a line
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. court — for sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. court — of a king
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. season — to add flavour

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