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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 116 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: swing · can · branch · present · march · bark · bay · race

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. race — a contest
  4. swing — music
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — humankind
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — to shout
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. race — the arms race
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. present — there
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — a tin

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