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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: cabinet · perch · firm · court · racket · foot · vault · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. firm — decided
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. firm — steady
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — a safe

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