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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: toast · snap · court · fine · squash · pit · last · pitcher

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — finally
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — for sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — in a race
  16. court — of a king
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. court — of law
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to click

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