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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: craft · swing · squash · branch · tube · stem · stick · pop

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pop — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tube — the underground
  24. craft — a skill

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