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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. court — for sport
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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