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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
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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: trunk · press · ball · mark · drill · race · bark · date

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — a contest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. race — humankind
  22. press — to push
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. date — the fruit

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