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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: chest · bay · jam · pitcher · snap · pitch · branch · stem

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. jam — a tight spot

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