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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · swing · chip · squash · branch · date · wound · trunk

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — for betting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — to eat
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rock — a stone

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