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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 · perch · stick · ground · tube · pop · bore · net

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — to visit
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ground — a position
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — soda

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