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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: sharp · squash · spring · foot · kick · jam · club · dip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. dip — to sink
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. spring — the season
  12. club — for dancing
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — a group
  18. kick — in football
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — a coil
  21. squash — the sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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