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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: swing · game · bear · stick · branch · rock · hide · bark

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — a division
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — of a tree

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