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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 116 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: spring · bulb · drill · pitch · dip · fork · stem · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stem — of a plant

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