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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: squash · club · bay · roll · toast · ruler · jam · arm

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — a group
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for golf

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