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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: pop · branch · stick · mug · fan · land · plane · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mug — a cup
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pop — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — a face
  15. branch — a division
  16. land — ground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. swing — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — a country
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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