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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: bowl · suit · present · mate · bark · pitcher · band · drill

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — there
  4. mate — a friend
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a ring
  15. bark — to shout
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mate — a partner

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