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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. firm — decided
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — a division

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