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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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