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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: bore · club · fork · bay · mug · mate · swing · branch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — in a road
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — to tire
  6. club — for dancing
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for golf
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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