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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: mug · court · bound · key · branch · file · swing · club

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — of a king
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. club — for golf
  6. court — for sport
  7. key — in music
  8. file — a document
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bound — tied together
  11. key — for a lock
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — a cup
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — a group
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a line of people
  22. court — of law
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — the most important part

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