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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: pitcher · safe · bay · mate · chest · can · arm · jam

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — a friend
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. arm — part of the body

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