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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 · pop · key · arm · can · rash · bear · stand

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pop — soda
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — in music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — a tin

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