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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: can · dip · bound · firm · foot · saw · hand · court

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — help
  9. bound — certain
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — obliged
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — of a king
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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