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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: content · bay · bear · staff · sharp · jam · straw · chip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — the amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — happy
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. sharp — exactly

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