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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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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: bore · pitcher · chest · board · bound · bark · patient · ruler

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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