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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: rush · perch · dip · ball · branch · swing · key · court

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — in golf
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — to play on
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — a division
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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