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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: spell · saw · pitch · pitcher · dip · jam · branch · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitch — completely

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