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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 116 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: dip · pitch · chair · wax · mug · squash · court · coach

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — a face
  14. wax — to grow
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. squash — to crush
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a cup
  24. squash — the sport

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