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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 116 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: bass · bore · sharp · march · ruler · trunk · content · swing

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — to play on
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — the amount
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — low music
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — exactly
  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