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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 · court · wind · fork · nail · spring · bark · ruler

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. court — of a king
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. court — of law
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — the season
  12. bark — to shout
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fork — in a road
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. court — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spring — of water

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