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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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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: stick · calf · court · trunk · squash · arm · snap · fork

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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