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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: court · dip · cue · pit · pass · perch · coach · trunk

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. court — for sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cue — a signal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to dunk

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