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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — to trim
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — for betting
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. court — of law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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