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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fan · mug · bass · branch · craft · march · pitch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — boats
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mug — to rob
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a face
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fan — a supporter

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