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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · foot · bound · root · stock · ball · bowl · arm

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — obliged
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — goods
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. bound — tied together

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