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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: spell · drill · wake · pit · last · root · bark · pop

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — army training
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — music
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — soda

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