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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · jam · arm · race · trunk · suit

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. court — of law
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — for sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. race — humankind
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. jam — a tight spot

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