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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: dip · sharp · row · court · pass · calf · squash · hand

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — to crush
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. row — a line
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — a young animal

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