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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: root · bay · plane · court · bound · degree · kick · arm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. court — for sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — temperature
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — of a word
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. court — of law
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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