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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: pop · dip · mark · foot · perch · pitcher · drill · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pop — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. foot — a measure
  24. date — on the calendar

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