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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: bass · branch · wind · bore · stock · saw · board · fine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — shares
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — low music

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