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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. club — a group
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — a price
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — a division
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. squash — the sport
  24. branch — of a bank

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