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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · court · branch · bowl · club · object · ball · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. court — for sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. object — an aim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. club — for dancing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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