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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: wake · pit · ball · court · temple · ground · dip · kick

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — a position
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — in football
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — crushed
  22. court — of law
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — with a leg

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