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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · root · mug · lean · fine · cue · foot · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — all right
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — of a plant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — the cause
  11. mug — a face
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. court — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of law
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. mug — to rob
  24. court — of a king

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