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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: bore · bear · net · wound · track · dip · bulb · pass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wound — an injury

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