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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 · court · can · mug · nail · land · row · branch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. land — a country
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — to come down
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. row — a line
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — to be able to
  19. court — of law
  20. row — to paddle
  21. land — ground
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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