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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: arm · bark · court · wind · nail · stick · cue · land

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. land — a country
  4. court — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — to come down
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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