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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: rule · bark · drill · pitch · calf · rash · trunk · season

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. rash — a series
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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