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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 120 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: cabinet · calf · plane · bark · pit · stand · march · bear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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