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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: game · mark · bear · firm · stand · tube · arm · foot

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — decided
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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