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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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Word bank
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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: stand · lash · squash · branch · jam · court · chair · stick

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — for sport

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