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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 · can · pitch · bowl · content · branch · coach · court

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — the amount
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — completely

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