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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · tube · court · content · pop · calf · ball · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. content — the amount
  8. pop — music
  9. court — of law
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — a container

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