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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: coach · band · land · safe · jam · club · stock · arm

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. club — a group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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