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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. swing — in golf
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — to rob
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — of a river
  23. content — the amount
  24. swing — to play on

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