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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: bowl · march · sharp · foot · root · arm · firm · content

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. march — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — a company
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — the amount
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — of a word
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. firm — decided
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. bowl — a dish

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