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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — all right
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a dance
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of a king
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a great time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. court — of law

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