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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: arm · jam · spring · court · bank · cap · stem · sharp

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bank — of a river
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — a part of something

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