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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: object · last · pass · dip · court · kid · pitch · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. court — for sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spell — letters
  9. court — of a king
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — magic
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. dip — to sink
  18. object — an aim
  19. kid — child
  20. court — of law
  21. last — final
  22. object — a thing
  23. last — finally
  24. kid — to tease

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