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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 120 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 · club · foot · lash · rock · snap · dip · scale

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rock — a stone
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. snap — to click
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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