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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 116 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: bass · drill · mark · prune · row · suit · bark · pass

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a trace
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. drill — army training
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to spend time

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