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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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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: bowl · toast · present · rule · bass · march · bore · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. march — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — a gift
  7. march — the month
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — bread
  12. bore — to drill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. present — there
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a football final

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