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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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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: net · plane · nail · calf · bore · capital · ground · dip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — money
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

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