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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: bore · game · board · cap · bass · date · charge · wound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to tire
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a match
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bass — low music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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