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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: coach · bore · bass · mouse · march · object · stem · drill

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bass — the fish
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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