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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: pit · dip · pop · tear · track · bore · mine · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — soda
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — a path
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pit — in a race

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