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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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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. board — to get on
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bass — low music
  14. march — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hand — help
  24. bass — the fish

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