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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 116 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: nail · perch · stem · clip · stick · court · stand · chip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — a video
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. court — for sport
  24. clip — for paper

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