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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 120 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: mate · mine · leaves · board · bass · bore · swing · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mate — to breed
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — a company
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — to play on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bore — to tire
  18. firm — decided
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — to get on

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