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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · branch · fall · rash · race · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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. swing — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — a division
  11. fall — the season
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — humankind
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. branch — of a bank

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