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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: dip · pit · wake · fork · fine · rash · ruler · pitch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — all right
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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