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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 116 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: dip · chair · degree · court · pit · present · cue · can

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a leader
  6. degree — from a university
  7. present — a gift
  8. court — for sport
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — in a race
  18. present — there
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — of law
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cue — a hint

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