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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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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: drill · nail · bass · cabinet · court · swing · branch · rash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — a practice
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — for sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — a division
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — of a bank

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