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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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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: pitcher · rule · foot · arm · deal · root · bound · kick

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — in football
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bound — obliged
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — a law
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — certain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — government

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