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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — the tool

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