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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: rest · jam · pass · stock · court · can · arm · bat

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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