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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: foot · bore · bass · press · squash · jam · spell · court

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. press — to push
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — of law
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bore — to tire
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. press — a publisher

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