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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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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: cabinet · firm · club · mark · jam · file · branch · suit

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for golf
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. branch — a division
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. file — a document
  16. club — a group
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a tool

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