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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: staff · degree · bark · bore · rock · stick · march · pit

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. march — the month
  9. staff — a stick
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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