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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — to push
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. foot — a measure
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — for sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — part of the body

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