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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: staff · rock · arm · scale · lie · court

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — to recline
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. court — for sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — music

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