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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: jam · fork · row · bound · temple · content · cell · swing

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cell — a phone
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. swing — music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. row — a line
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — certain
  14. content — the amount
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — obliged
  17. content — happy
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — tied together
  23. swing — to play on
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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