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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: jam · saw · rock · cell · ground · safe · bear · chip

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — in biology
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ground — crushed
  24. saw — the tool

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