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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: bore · vault · chip · bass · march · ball · drill · board

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — to eat
  6. board — a committee
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. drill — army training
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — a practice
  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