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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: dip · field · swing · bore · stick · nail · key · tube

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. field — farmland
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. dip — a sauce

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