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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: craft · deal · foot · firm · content · clip · stand · arm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. content — happy
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. firm — steady
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — to handle
  13. firm — decided
  14. stand — to bear
  15. clip — for paper
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. craft — a skill
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — a measure
  23. arm — part of the body
  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