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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: drill · bark · object · prune · race · ground · cabinet · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — an aim
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — humankind
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — the arms race
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — the earth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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