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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — after costs
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. foot — a measure
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — in sport

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