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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: rock · fan · jam · bear · bark · season · arm · roll

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — of the year
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — on a roll

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