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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: row · jam · fall · cap · suit · fine · pitch · branch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — to paddle
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fine — high quality
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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