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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 116 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: board · pit · cold · mark · ground · bowl · bore · mug

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a trace

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