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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: content · jam · chair · firm · hand · bear · stick · present

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hand — help
  3. present — the time now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — there
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — a gift
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — the amount
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bear — to put up with

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