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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: staff · bass · date · vault · board · bat · rest · bore

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rest — a break
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bore — to tire
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — the fish
  19. staff — a stick
  20. board — to get on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — a flat piece

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