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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.

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: roll · game · sharp · rash · fork · mug · jam · bark

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bark — to shout
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a face
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. roll — a cake

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