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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: mate · tube · court · arm · bowl · pound · foot · rock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. court — of law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — of a king
  21. pound — a weight
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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