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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: pitcher · net · field · toast · jam · mark · board · branch

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. net — for catching
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. field — for sport
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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