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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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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 · kick · kid · racket · pit · mouse · bound · drill

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. kid — to tease

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