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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: file · court · can · root · sharp · fine · stock · arm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. file — a tool
  4. root — of a word
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — of a plant
  10. court — for sport
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — goods
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — shares
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — the cause
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a document
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — a soup base

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