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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: row · lean · wake · jam · squash · court · chair · rest

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to bend
  6. court — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. court — of a king
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chair — a leader
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. row — a line
  23. rest — a break
  24. jam — a tight spot

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