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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · arm · squash · coach · jam · mine · stem

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stem — to come from
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — of a king
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. squash — to crush
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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