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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: club · root · board · race · bass · craft · content · bore

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — a committee
  7. bass — the fish
  8. content — happy
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to tire
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. root — the cause
  19. race — humankind
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — to get on
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bass — the instrument

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