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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 120 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: season · court · saw · pitcher · dip · pass · tube · spell

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — of law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of a king
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — magic

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