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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: branch · band · jam · wave · court · pitch · mark · mug

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. court — for sport
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — of law
  13. mug — a face
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a ring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — a division
  24. court — of a king

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