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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: pit · fall · present · plane · mark · suit · drill · bark

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — a gift
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — a tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — there
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. present — the time now
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — to shout

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