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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: stock · present · bass · jam · bear · toast · arm · content

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. content — the amount
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — there
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stock — goods

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