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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: pound · arm · bulb · trunk · scale · foot · row · mark

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — a part of something

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