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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 116 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 · bay · pit · court · charge · pitcher · press · trunk

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — electricity
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. press — to push
  23. charge — a price
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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