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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: staff · jam · chair · race · fork · content

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — a contest
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a leader

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