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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: stand · content · game · jam · firm · bat · racket · branch

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bat — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. firm — steady
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. game — wild animals
  15. content — happy
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — the amount
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — on your feet

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