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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: chair · swing · drill · rock · dip · foot · present · tube

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — a measure
  5. drill — army training
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — the underground
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — there
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tube — a container
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — the bottom

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