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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: foot · cell · stock · bound · arm · lean · court · can

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. court — of law
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — thin
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — obliged
  20. can — to be able to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — a measure

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