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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · bore · band · shower · bank · bay · date · bass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bank — for money

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