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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: bound · jam · march · can · arm · rash · cold · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rash — a series
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  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