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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
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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: drill · march · date · bass · plane · land · dip · suit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — to fit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — army training
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. march — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bass — the fish
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. march — the month

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