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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: fork · pitch · safe · stock · capital · bear · row · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. row — to paddle
  3. capital — money
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fork — in a road
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. capital — a city

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