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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 120 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: stick · march · track · drill · bass · prune · pit · racket

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — low music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. march — the month
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — army training
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. march — music

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