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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: swing · bound · club · date · bank · stand · branch · bark

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — a group
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. swing — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — to play on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. branch — a division
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bark — to shout
  24. date — the fruit

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