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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: jam · bass · branch · racket · chip · court · hand · pitcher

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — help
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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