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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: cell · arm · charge · court · bowl · hide · squash · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. court — of law
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — electricity
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — to crush

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