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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: stem · court · scale · calf · march · mug · plane · arm

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of law
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. scale — in music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — for sport
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a face
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — size or range

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