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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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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: pit · snap · dip · nail · bass · root · court · stick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pit — a hole
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. court — of a king

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