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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: dip · tear · court · squash · suit · date · hand · arm

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to sink
  5. squash — the sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — help
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tear — to rip
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. date — on the calendar

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