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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: plane · bowl · press · bark · bear · pit · drill · jam

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — army training
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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