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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 · date · jam · drill · bass · bound · calf · temple

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — obliged
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the fish

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