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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: cap · coach · court · suit · stand · nail · arm · hand

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. court — for sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — of ice
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of law
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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