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

Word bank: band · pound · kick · perch · file · swing · board · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. 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. band — a rubber band
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kick — in football
  4. board — a committee
  5. file — a document
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — the fish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. band — a ring
  21. file — a tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — to get on
  24. 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