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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: suit · club · wound · swing · ball · branch · saw · fine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — to fit

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