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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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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: stick · court · arm · perch · pass · mate · stem · nail

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — to come from
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — the fish

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