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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: bark · drill · temple · ball · rush · can · pitch · foot

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — army training
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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