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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 120 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: ground · branch · tube · foot · perch · swing · mug · clip

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. clip — a video
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. clip — for paper
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — crushed

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