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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: bear · arm · safe · ground · hand · stock · bank · jam

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bank — of a river
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — for money
  24. safe — out of danger

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