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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: foot · pit · rock · bound · mate · drill · dip · rush

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — certain
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — a stone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bound — tied together
  21. drill — army training
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — music

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