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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: field · firm · arm · safe · content · jam · date · cell

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. content — the amount
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — the fruit
  14. field — a subject
  15. cell — in biology
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — happy

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