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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: bass · bat · can · branch · chip · swing · file · leaves

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. file — a tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. file — a document

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