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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fork — in a road
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. swing — in golf
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — a big deal

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