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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: march · tube · cap · ruler · pit · dip · kick · coach

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — the underground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to dunk

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