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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: bowl · swing · cell · bank · chest · jam · branch · bass

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — a phone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — the fish
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cell — in biology
  12. swing — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. chest — a box
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — in golf

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