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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · tube · pass · land · stick · dip · object · net

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — an aim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — the underground
  9. drill — army training
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. pass — a permit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — to come down
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to sink

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