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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: saw · jam · bark · rush · coach · content · chip · band

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. content — happy
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — a tight spot

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