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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. swing — to play on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. swing — in golf
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — a division

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