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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: date · lash · tube · bore · bass · jam · pitcher · board

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — the underground
  23. board — a committee
  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