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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.

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: cap · arm · stock · toast · bat · board · cue · court

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — of a king
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — to get on
  12. toast — bread
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — a committee
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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