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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: staff · rest · perch · court · drill · trunk · club · stem

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — a group
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — of law
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for golf
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. staff — a stick

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