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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 124 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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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: rock · plane · racket · dip · pitcher · stick · pound · bore

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — a weight
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — a stone

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