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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: ball · pitcher · drill · stand · deal · mark · bark · dip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — army training
  24. ball — a round shape

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