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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: prune · drill · rash · rule · dip · date · mark · bark

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rule — a law
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. drill — army training
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — a series
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — government
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — to shout
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. dip — to dunk

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