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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: pit · bark · press · foot · wound · plane · band · fine

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — to shout
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fine — high quality

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