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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 120 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: degree · spell · suit · march · branch · swing · game · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — a short time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. degree — from a university
  20. swing — in golf
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — to play on
  23. march — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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