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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: bore · vault · date · bass · board · mate · band · branch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. branch — a division
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — to tire
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a bank

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