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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 · staff · stick · board · ground · jam · suit · land

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. land — a country
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — a stick
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — crushed
  24. board — a flat piece

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