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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: dip · plane · bore · can · pit · court · track · net

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. court — for sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a song
  11. court — of a king
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — to be able to
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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