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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · jam · chest · branch · mark · pitch · patient · bear

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chest — a box
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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