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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: court · land · sharp · nail · arm · perch · can · coach

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — for sport
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. sharp — clever
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — the fish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of a king
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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