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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: march · season · swing · wind · stock · mouse · branch · foot

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. march — the month
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — in golf
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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