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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 · hide · stem · fan · swing · jam · sharp · branch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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