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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. content — the amount
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — all right
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bass — the fish
  13. content — happy
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — bread
  22. root — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bore — to drill

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