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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 · mark · pound · jam · bark · squash · race · firm

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — steady
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. mark — to pay attention

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