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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: key · present · board · jam · bore · pop · chair · kid

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chair — a leader
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bore — to drill
  7. present — a gift
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pop — music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. key — in music
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — soda
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. present — there

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