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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: game · swing · stock · branch · squash · straw · saw · tube

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. swing — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. swing — to play on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. squash — to crush
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. tube — the underground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. game — wild animals
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — goods

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