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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · game · craft · chest · foot · fine · safe · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. craft — a skill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. foot — a measure
  8. craft — boats
  9. chest — of your body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — a strongbox

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