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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: calf · branch · jam · pop · club · swing · perch · fan

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — to visit
  6. swing — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. branch — a division
  13. swing — in golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. perch — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pop — soda

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