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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · degree · staff · craft · chip · jam · branch · content

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. court — for sport
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. court — of a king
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — a division
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — to eat
  24. content — happy

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