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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
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: trunk · mug · bark · foot · object · arm · court · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — the cause
  8. mug — a face
  9. root — of a word
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. object — to protest
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of a king
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — a thing
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. bark — of a tree

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