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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: content · bass · jam · roll · chair · leaves · race · safe

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bass — low music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chair — a leader
  15. roll — a list
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chair — a professorship

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