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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · chair · court · date · pitch · wake · current · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — electric
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — the fruit
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. chair — a leader
  16. object — an aim
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — a trail
  23. dip — to sink
  24. current — of water

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