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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: rash · object · trunk · court · clip · board · squash · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. object — to protest
  3. squash — the sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. object — an aim
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. board — a committee

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