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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: swing · cell · drill · mate · bass · plane · bark · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bark — to shout
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. drill — the tool

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