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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
468
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: mate · racket · mine · swing · track · branch · dip · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — for digging
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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