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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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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 · board · field · bank · staff · swing · kid · calf

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kid — to tease
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. swing — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — in golf
  19. board — a committee
  20. field — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — child
  24. staff — a stick

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