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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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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: march · board · racket · rest · bore · kid · chip · mouse

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. kid — child
  12. board — to get on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chip — to eat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — to drill
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. board — a committee

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