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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: bowl · track · season · swing · perch · ball · bore · board

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. track — a path
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. season — of the year
  21. track — to keep track
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to tire

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