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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. swing — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. game — a match
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. swing — to play on

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