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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 · bore · dip · field · ground · season · bass · bound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — the month
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bore — to drill
  6. season — in sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — obliged
  14. march — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — certain
  17. ground — crushed
  18. field — a subject
  19. bore — to tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. ground — a position
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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