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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. drill — army training
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — a practice
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. drill — the tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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