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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stock — shares
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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