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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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