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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 120 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: ground · row · bore · race · board · snap · scale · season

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. snap — to click
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. season — of the year
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. race — the arms race
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — a contest
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. board — to get 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