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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. club — a group
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. court — of law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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