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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 · content · staff · degree · pitcher · jam · craft · bulb

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. staff — a stick
  4. branch — a division
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — an amount
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bulb — for light
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. degree — temperature
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. craft — boats
  22. staff — employees
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bulb — of a plant

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