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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: trunk · squash · jam · arm · wind · dip · court · pitcher

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — of a king
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — 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