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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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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: safe · stock · arm · snap · content · cue · jam · capital

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. content — happy
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — goods
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a city
  22. content — the amount
  23. capital — money
  24. jam — a tight spot

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