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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
468
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: bass · board · present · bore · pit · date · bark · plane

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — there
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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