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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 120 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: tube · hand · chair · bowl · bound · foot · kick · fork

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — in football
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — tied together

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