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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: swing · pop · branch · charge · stick · tear · perch · firm

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — to visit
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. swing — to play on
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. swing — music
  11. tear — to rip
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — steady
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — a price

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