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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: calf · rush · fork · foot · march · race · mark · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. foot — a measure
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — in a road
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — to hurry

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