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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: bowl · cabinet · rush · net · bark · arm · leaves · jam

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — in traffic

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