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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · rash · scale · root · ball · squash · court · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — to breed
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — for sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of a king

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