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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · bass · content · bore · land · rule · craft · stand

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. content — happy
  3. land — to come down
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — ground
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — boats
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — a law
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bass — the fish
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bore — gave birth

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