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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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Word bank
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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: pop · swing · bulb · bark · band · present · saw · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — there
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. present — the time now

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