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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: row · kick · tube · foot · can · arm · track · ball

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ball — a great time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — a measure
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tube — a container
  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