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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: rash · bound · rush · root · march · branch · swing · jam

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — a series
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — in golf
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — music
  24. march — music

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