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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 116 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: leaves · swing · pit · track · ground · branch · mouse · stick

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — the earth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — a position

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