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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 · branch · net · lean · pound · pitch · craft · pitcher

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitch — completely
  18. craft — a skill
  19. net — after costs
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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