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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · chip · stock · leaves · arm · row · coach · jam

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. content — happy
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — shares
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — the amount
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a quarrel
  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