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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: bear · lean · content · squash · club · foot · court · lie

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. content — happy
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — of law
  10. club — a group
  11. court — for sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. content — the amount

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