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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: arm · squash · rash · ground · roll · club · calf · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. roll — on a roll

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