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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: root · roll · board · bore · stock · rock · bass · march

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. bass — the fish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stock — goods
  10. rock — a stone
  11. roll — a list
  12. root — of a word
  13. march — music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rock — music
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — the cause
  24. rock — to move gently

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