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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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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: game · stem · dip · racket · calf · bore · track · drill

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. game — a match
  7. bore — to drill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — to come from
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bore — to tire
  24. track — to keep track

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