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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: branch · press · swing · kid · sharp · racket · bank · trunk

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — clever
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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