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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: foot · mark · swing · bore · dip · mate · object · board

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — to get on
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. foot — a measure
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a committee
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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