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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: bark · roll · race · bowl · calf · arm · jam · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bark — to shout
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. roll — a cake
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. roll — a list
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. race — a contest
  21. march — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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