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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: land · mate · swing · chip · band · saw · pop · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — a division
  10. pop — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a music group
  17. land — to come down
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pop — to visit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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