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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: bark · staff · plane · march · date · foot · bowl · sharp

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — the fruit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. march — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — to shout

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