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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 120 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: swing · can · deal · club · branch · track · field · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — to play on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — for golf
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. club — a group
  17. track — a song
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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