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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 · pass · spring · racket · tube · dip · toast · shower

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — a permit
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. shower — to wash
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — a container
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to sink
  24. toast — the most admired

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