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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 120 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: nail · court · arm · hand · pass · stock · rest · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. court — of law
  9. hand — help
  10. court — for sport
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of a king
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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