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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · branch · pitch · jam · mark · hide

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — in traffic

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