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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 · nail · squash · saw · board · current · game · capital

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bore — to drill
  3. capital — money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — to get on
  14. current — happening now
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — a match
  20. current — of water
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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