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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · arm · bark · pound · bass · season · fine · craft

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bass — the fish
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — of the year
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — boats
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — to add flavour

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