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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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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: tube · court · wound · sharp · root · can · saw · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — an injury
  4. court — of law
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. court — for sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a word
  24. arm — part of the body

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