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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. dip — to sink
  12. toast — bread
  13. court — of a king
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. club — for dancing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — for sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bat — for baseball

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