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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.

Words on the sheet
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: pit · bass · wake · object · court · dip · ruler · last

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — low music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — final
  10. court — of law
  11. object — to protest
  12. court — of a king
  13. last — to go on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — a thing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — the fish

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