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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: mine · pitcher · object · prune · fall · sharp · court · dip

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. object — an aim
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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