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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: drill · bark · pitcher · pit · bass · suit · deal · band

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — army training
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a ring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a music group
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — in a race

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