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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — a division
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — low music

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