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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: patient · board · fan · drill · content · bass · bank · bore

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — happy
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — low music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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