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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: suit · jam · branch · pitcher · track · mate · root · hand

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — clothes
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — a song
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — to fit
  20. root — the cause
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — to breed

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