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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 120 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 · tube · file · drill · ground · foot · race · can

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ground — crushed
  3. drill — army training
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — a container
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — humankind
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. race — a contest
  24. tube — the underground

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