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

Word bank: arm · stick · fork · court · bank · race · roll · dip

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. court — of law
  3. race — a contest
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. court — for sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of a king
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — to eat with

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