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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: jam · hand · arm · court · net · cap · lash · mug

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of a king
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cap — a hat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hand — help
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. court — of law
  23. net — for catching
  24. hand — 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