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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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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: sharp · arm · mark · foot · pit · chair · pop · root

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pop — soda
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — of a word
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — to visit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chair — a leader
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pit — in a race

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