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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: staff · branch · jam · pit · toast · fan · swing · net

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — in a race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — a division
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. net — after costs
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — for catching

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