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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: cap · bore · track · stick · bark · fine · board · bass

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a committee
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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