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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 116 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: bark · squash · face · swing · band · bound · pitcher · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. swing — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — obliged

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