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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: face · pit · fine · swing · row · branch · stick · bank

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fine — high quality

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