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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 120 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: march · stem · nail · sharp · court · can · pop · mouse

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — soda
  16. stem — to come from
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. pop — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. march — the month

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