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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: craft · stem · pop · arm · court · hand · bay · track

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. hand — in cards
  14. court — of a king
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pop — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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