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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: fine · bat · perch · stick · jam · stem · court · plane

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — a penalty

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