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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: land · mouse · arm · toast · chest · can · foot · capital

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — a box
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. capital — a city
  16. land — a country
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — a big letter

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