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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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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: season · fork · track · swing · branch · coach · shower · spell

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. track — a path
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — music
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — a song
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — to wash
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — to play on

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