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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · bore · bass · squash · lash · roll · chair · nail

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chair — a leader
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. court — for sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. bore — to tire
  14. court — of a king
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — to drill
  23. court — of law
  24. bass — low music

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