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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: foot · sharp · game · arm · tube · root · can · branch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. can — to be able to
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — a container
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. branch — a division
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. root — of a word
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — 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