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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: game · bore · wound · board · ball · pitch · stem · fan

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — to come from
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — a supporter

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