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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · ground · dip · cap · bore · racket · file · arm

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ground — a position
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. net — for catching
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cap — of ice
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a hat

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