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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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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: march · squash · rock · bore · stand · board · degree · bowl

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rock — a stone
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. board — to get on
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. march — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. degree — an amount

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