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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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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: chair · bat · branch · root · bay · trunk · swing · bound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — to play on
  3. branch — a division
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. root — the cause
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. swing — in golf

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