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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 · branch · swing · wind · mark · bowl · jam · rule

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wind — moving air
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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