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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: charge · swing · bear · bore · cabinet · board · kid · prune

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — in control
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — electricity
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. swing — to play on

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