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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My father caught me by 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 — in golf
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. swing — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mine — for digging
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a committee
  10. march — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — bread
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. arm — part of the body

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