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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 116 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: club · press · sharp · bass · object · branch · coach · swing

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. press — newspapers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — in golf
  8. club — a group
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — to push
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — an aim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bass — the fish
  18. swing — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for dancing

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