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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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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — army training
  10. clip — for paper
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — a container
  15. clip — a video
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — a practice
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — goods
  24. wake — before a funeral

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