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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 116 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: stem · net · can · court · cue · saw · present · nail

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a hint
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. net — for catching
  11. present — there
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — a gift
  21. court — of law
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — of a plant

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