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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. branch — a division
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. toast — bread
  14. bank — of a river
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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