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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — a division
  7. court — of law
  8. swing — music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — from a university
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — in cards
  24. swing — to play on

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