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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: content · fan · staff · ruler · date · ground · bore · bass

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — to drill
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — a position
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — crushed
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — for measuring

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