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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: roll · staff · arm · jam · current · pitcher · bark · race

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. race — a contest
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — a list
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. race — humankind
  23. roll — on a roll
  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