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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: court · pass · dip · cabinet · pit · ball · kick · date

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to sink
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. court — of a king
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — for sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — of law
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a great time

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