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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: content · bore · bark · toast · board · coach · squash · bass

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bore — to tire
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — to get on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — to drill

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